4 Ways to Make the Family Holiday Way More Fun

Hey Cats,

The idea of taking a much-deserved holiday should be appealing to everyone. Yet, a holiday with your family is quite different from jetting off on a trip with your SO or friends - and it can quickly become slightly exhausting if you’re unprepared. Luckily, there are a few ways to ensure the kind of relaxation and serenity you had in mind.

Here are a few excellent tips on how to make sure the family holiday is fun for everyone and not even half as tiring as you might fear.

#1 Talk about the holiday

Everyone knows that half of the fun comes from looking forward to doing something exciting, anticipating the trip, and planning what you’re all going to do. Make sure that the whole family is a part of the planning process, first of all, and include your children when selecting activities and build excitement by showing them pictures of where you’re going. Although you’re probably looking forward to slouching on the beach or just going for a walkabout without a care in the world, your kids will most certainly want to be active. Talk with them about what they’re looking to get out of the holiday and what you would like to do as well - that way, you’re all included and up to date.

#2 You don’t have to go somewhere exotic

Sure, when you and your friends plan a holiday, you’d probably want to slide down the canals of Venice or ride a camel through the desert, but it’s not actually necessary for children to go somewhere super-exotic. It’s actually all about finding the balance between a place that is recognisable but still a bit different - like the cottage you visit once a year, for example.They prefer the familiar and will have just as much fun on a family trip in the UK as they would have in Indonesia - plus, it saves you a lot of holiday stress as you won’t have to get everybody’s passports ready and rush off to catch a flight.

#3 Tune into holiday-mode

It can be difficult to leave your work mind behind when you’re off, but it’s important to take time to enjoy yourself and forget about the stress. Make sure you’re ready to be on holiday as soon as you lock the front door; it will make it a lot nicer for both you and your kids.

One way to do this is to reduce every stress factor that you might encounter during your time off. Clear all of your work tasks before taking time off and think about other things that might make you snap out of holiday-mode. If you’re concerned about spending too much money, try to reduce the costs by staying somewhere you’re able to cook for yourself - or, similarly, set aside some money to spend on eating out if the thought of cooking on holiday puts you off. Start by having a look at theseserviced apartments in Birmingham if you’re searching for something that offers both cookingfacilities and restaurants. That way, you’ll be able to save money when you need it and eat out when you need a break.

#4 Relax the rules a little

A part of leaving work busy work-mind behind means that you should also try to leave your busy parent-mind behind slightly. Of course, you’re still the parent and in charge regardless of any holidays, but it’s good for everyone to feel that the rules are a bit more flexible once in a while. Allow your children to go to bed a little bit later, for example, let them have that extra ice cream if they want it, and try to wake up in the morning without having an agenda for the day. It gives youthat sense of freedom you crave in your everyday-lives and makes the whole holiday-vibe a lot nicer. Wake up a bit later, spend the entire day by the pool and go to bed a few hours later than usual - it will make it feel a lot more like a holiday.

Family vacations are much more fun when everyone is in on it; from children being allowed to have a say in the planning process to parents being able to leave work at home and let their fun side shine a bit brighter. You’ll, hopefully, be able to return to work and home with newfound energy and happy children.